14Dec12, Friday morning, I drove my 1991 Lincoln Town Car to Jiffy Lube, 1287 W Sunset Blvd. St. George, UT 847704845 for service preparatory to driving out of state in the afternoon. After a short wait the manager and technician both told me that they could not change the oil in my vehicle because the oil pan plug was spinning & meaning that the threads were damaged preventing extraction. The technician made a negative comment about the guy who put this plug in I was the guy who put the plug in & they guy they just insulted. They also told me that there was significant motor oil leaking from the oil pan gasket or somewhere close. They told me that must have these deficiencies corrected before they could service my vehicle. They offered
the names of two automotive repair shops and once completed I should return to Jiffy Lube for service.
I took the vehicle to my own mechanic, Castros Auto Service in Saint George, Utah and relayed to him the same information
I received from Jiffy Lube. Moises Castro, the owner, checked my vehicle himself. He reported back to me that the plug to my oil pan unthreaded normally and there was nothing wrong with it. He also observed that there was an insignificant seepage of oil from my oil pan gasket, but said it was so slight that I could deal with it after my trip if I wanted to. Moises changed my oil
and filter..
When I returned home I parked my car on my driveway so that I could take a careful look at my garage floor. There was no evidence of significant dripping. If I had significant dripping as advised by Jiffy Lube, I would have noticed it myself.
This is what I think took place: The story told to me by the manager and the technician was concocted to create anxiety in my mind to influence me to take my vehicle to one of the two auto repair shops they recommended. Because I was well dressed and 67 years old, I think they assumed that I did not know much about my vehicle and was an easy mark. If this was their assumption they erred. I am a serious amateur auto mechanic and very aware of my vehicle. I think the comment about the guy who put in the drain plug... Was a careless comment. I think these two had a kick-back arrangement for referring business to the repair shops they recommended. The other possible explanation is that they are incompetent and misadvised me. To remove the oil pan to service the gasket in this vehicle requires the engine mounts be removed to extract the oil pan. To rethread the plug would require tapping or some other technique to rethread. All of this would have cost me over $300
before I could have my vehicle serviced on this day.
This is the last time I will take my vehicles to Jiffy Lube.
My wife has had our 3 vehicles serviced by Jiffy Lube for over 15 years. That is now over. I suspect if she were a single woman she would have had this unnecessary and expensive work done.
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